Muscle Car Classic: 1970s Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda

For a car sharing the body of a mass-produced Plymouth, the 1970s Hemi ‘Cuda is one heck of a gem for all the muscle car enthusiasts out there: this car is easily worth more than $150,000, and can also very easily outdo the prices of most Ferraris manufactured during the same years. If you want to talk about “legendary” in muscle car terms, we are talking about this very car.

The 1970s Hemi ‘Cuda, a model of the Plymouth Barracuda, was one of Chrysler Corporation’s two-door cars that was manufactured under Plymouth and released from 1964 to 1974. The 1970-1974-produced Barracudas, however, were very different from the two previous Plymouth models, and was available as a coupe and as a convertible. During the years 1966-1971, the car took on a new look as it was transformed and fit into a smaller and shorter E-body platform. This gave the Barracuda an edgier, sportier feel. The engine was also rebuilt with a bigger size. It was at this point that the epic popularity of the 1970s Hemi ‘Cuda was born.

The Bad Boy Features

Of course, you only have to look at the car to see its timelessness. The 1970s Hemi ‘Cuda was built with a classic body that came in daring colors such as plum, hockey stick sports stripes, hood pins and pistol grip shifters, providing the ‘Cuda driver with just the proper suave and macho glamour. With its fun Rallye wheels, it has been tested to reach 0-60 in 5.8 seconds and the ¼ mile in 14 seconds at 102 mph. It’s the high performance piece among the Plymouth Barracudas manufactured. It doesn’t need to beg for your attention, but the Hemi ‘Cuda’s tire-shredding growling glory that no muscle car enthusiast can resist. It also comes with an optional Track Pak with a differential ratio of 3.54:1. The Hemi ‘Cuda has also undergone several upgrades, including enhanced suspension.

The Birth of the Rare Treasure

After the Barracuda underwent a major pimping up, the 1970s Hemi ‘Cuda’s reputation as the most sought after of all muscle cars spread. But this is not just because of its innovative design and performance. When they were new, only 652 Hemi ‘Cudas were produced. Among them only 14 were convertibles. Having an original Hemi ‘Cuda was an instant muscle car world status-upper, but even non-muscle car enthusiasts can’t help do a double take with the recognition of the rarity and beauty of this car. This scarcity in manufactured Hemi ‘Cudas was actually a consequence of the additional $900 demanded by the manufacturing of the car, which was almost one-third of the standard purchase price. But hey, they couldn’t have popularized and marketed the bad boy any better, right?

Until now, no other muscle car matches the street cred of the vintage 1970’s Hemi ‘Cuda. It’s wicked for collections if you have the money to maintain it. And as if to put the Hemi ‘Cuda’s feats on the record, it has already been featured in several Need for Speed editions. There’s even a cameo of a perfectly pimped out one in Fast and Furious 6! That’s just how legendary the ‘Cuda is.

Download the Only Muscle Car App!

Follow Muscle Car Fan

What are the Top 10 Muscle Cars of All Time?

2016 Copyright MuscleCarFan.com - Visitors are solely responsible for the safety and/or losses of any people, vehicles, and equipment. Muscle Car Fan's liability is limited to the purchase price of any products.